Generally for vehicle bodies formed of steel the front pillar and the side sill are the same part allowing for smooth and efficient load transfer between the areas of the vehicle. Traditional center pillars are formed of two members spot welded together, and the center pillar inner is spot welded to the bottom of the side sill section. For vehicle bodies formed of aluminum, the front/center pillar and the side sill are two different extrusions fixedly connected together for load transfer between the two parts. By way of example, it is known to weld the front/center pillar extrusion on the top and to the outside of the side sill extrusion. Further, it is known to position a lower part of the pillar extrusion in an opening in the side sill extrusion prior to the connection of the extrusions.